War on Terrorism

Saturday, November 30, 2013

GRAFENWOEHR, Germany, Nov. 29, 2013 – At the end of 2014,
the ISAF mission in Afghanistan is scheduled to end and a new train, advise and
assist mission called Resolute Support will begin.

During Europe's recent combat training conference, the top
brass of more than 35 nations outlined a way ahead to prepare for the
transition that involves combined and joint training provided by the Joint
Multinational Training Command here.

"There was a lot of discussion about the coming ISAF
[International Security Assistance Force] and NATO operational transition in
Afghanistan," said Army Col. Thomas S. Matsel, the G3 or chief of
operations at the JMTC.

"NATO is going to transition" from its ISAF
operations centered in Afghanistan to a force that is prepared to respond
across the full spectrum of conflict, Matsel said.

Since JMTC's training events regularly include multinational
participation, the discussion is different at other Army combat training centers,
Matsel said.

"They are mainly concerned with Title 10 training
[training for U.S. troops]. Their focus is on U.S.-based Army units and their
ability to conduct combat or contingency operations," he said. "We
have that responsibility with our Title 10 forces also, but JMTC, the training
command for the U.S. Army Europe also has the task to make sure U.S. Army units
are well integrated with our NATO and multinational partners and the place
where that happens, and is tested, is here in Europe during our multinational
training and exercises."

Simultaneously, at the Hohenfels Training Area in Germany,
the exercise Combined Resolve looks at the post-ISAF relationship and the
potential for future coalition operations. The training brought U.S. forces and
those of Bulgaria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, France, Norway, Poland, Serbia,
Slovenia, and Sweden together to challenge systems and develop cultural
understanding and trust.

"The training ... is exactly in harmony with what we
want to attain in the whole of NATO. After years of training concentrated on
Afghanistan, we again want to pay attention to the training of fundamental
military activities," the Czech Republic's chief of staff Petr Pavel said
about the training. "For us this means training in an environment that we
are by no means capable of replicating in domestic conditions."

Pavel said his Army benefits by training with the modern
equipment and training facilities available at Hohenfels, as well as the
professional cadre of observers, coaches, and trainers.

"We do not have the technical means to assess the
training available here [in the Czech Republic] and we aren't capable of
ensuring the multinational participation," he said.

A multinational exercise is planned every month for the next
year. The next exercise is slated for Dec. 7-17. The New Jersey National Guard
will train at the Hohenfels Training Area with more than seven multinational
partners.

"It's important to remember some of the best and most
capable security forces in the world are right here in Europe and we must build
on the past 10 years of combat operations with our NATO and multinational
partners so we are ready for the next emergency or contingency," Matsel
said.

Monday, November 25, 2013

by Staff Sgt. Erica Horner
Air Force Special Operations Command Public Affairs

11/14/2013 - HURLBURT FIELD, Fla. -- "I
was only attached to these guys for just one mission but it was the
most important mission of my life," said Maj. F. Damon Friedman, an Air
Force Special Operations Command special tactics officer who was briefly
assigned to an Army task force while serving in Afghanistan.

For his actions, Friedman was awarded the Bronze Star with Valor during a ceremony Nov. 13, at Hurlburt Field, Fla.

It was April 2010 and the Korengal Valley, a 2-kilometer "kill-box"
located in northeast Afghanistan, had already claimed the lives of more
than 40 American service members since the start of Operation Enduring
Freedom. The compact valley with extremely high terrain was difficult to
maneuver, earning the name "Valley of Death," and it needed to be
cleared of enemy forces immediately.

"It was a very high profile mission. There were several Special Forces
Operational Detachment Alpha teams assigned to one battalion and also an
Army task force," said Friedman, then a captain on his third deployment
in Afghanistan since becoming a STO. "Our unit was responsible for
going in and conducting disruption operations so the current Army unit
would be able to start taking out enemy forces in the middle of the
night and ultimately close that place down."

Because of his expertise, Friedman was appointed as the lead joint
terminal attack controller with a team of three combat controllers. He
was also tasked as the "fire's guy," the subject matter expert for all
close air support and call for fires during that mission.

"When we came in, there were about 100 enemy forces in the area. I was
up for three days without a second of sleep conducting close air support
with numerous aircraft overhead," said Friedman.

This was nothing new for Friedman; using his elevated location to his
advantage, he provided fire support and cover for the men moving through
the valley.

"I had the greatest situational awareness," he said. "I was able to
receive the aircraft and push them out, or conduct close air support and
call for fire because my position was much safer and I could see the
entire valley."

According to the medal citation, for seven days, often under direct and
indirect hostile fire, Friedman maneuvered to exposed positions to
improve the coordination and deconfliction of more than 200 attack
aircraft.

He also controlled and directed the delivery of 4,000 pounds of bombs,
AC-130 rounds, and repeated rocket and strafe attacks. On two accounts,
he controlled bombs and rockets within 100 meters of pinned-down
friendly forces, thereby saving the lives of his teammates.

"I wanted to be as accurate as possible," he said. "I wanted to make the
right calls and I didn't want to be overzealous, especially when it
came to danger close. You want everyone to be safe on your side. You
want everyone to come home and everyone did come home."

No friendly forces were killed and Friedman was credited with 40 enemies killed and wounded.

"The "V" is something very special," said Brig. Gen. Albert "Buck"
Elton, AFSOC director of plans, programs, requirements and assessments,
referring to the valor device on the Bronze Star. "It's difficult to
earn and they protect that device. To have three Bronze Stars is a big
deal, especially one with valor."

Friedman credits his team for this achievement.

"Honestly, when I look at this medal with the "V" device, it's for the
guys; it was a team effort," said Friedman. "These men they go out and
do extraordinary things; the operators and the controllers, they're
amazing and this is as much of theirs as it is mine. I'm just honored to
be a part of it."

The BSM is the fourth highest individual military award. It may be
awarded for acts of heroism, acts of merit, or meritorious service in a
combat zone. When awarded for acts of heroism, the medal is awarded with
a Valor, or "V," device.

Editor's Note: A "kill box," a common term used by special
operations forces, is a three-dimensional area used to facilitate the
integration of joint fires.

11/23/2013 - KANDAHAR AIRFIELD, Afghanistan -- There
are no web ads, gorilla-suit wearers flipping arrows or even a simple
"Open for Business" sign; there is just a makeshift, plywood plaque that
describes exactly what it is - "Tan Box Bike Repair."

For service members at Kandahar Airfield, Afghanistan, with bicycle
issues, Tan Box Bike Repair is probably the only, and definitely
most-affordable, way to get necessary repairs for bikes that face some
extreme riding conditions. The parts and repairs are absolutely free.

Two California natives, Tech. Sgt. Juan Sanchezduarte and Senior Airman
Mark Zorich, both assigned to the 451st Expeditionary Logistics
Readiness Squadron, started the free bicycle repair shop when they saw
their fellow airmen had needs, and they had the means to help.

"I have a lot of personal experience working on bikes at home," said
Sanchezduarte, who is deployed from the 50th Aerial Port Squadron, March
Air Reserve Base, Calif. "I asked my wife to send me my tools. I was
only fixing bikes at the terminal where I work, and I ran out of bikes
to fix. That's when I contacted the first sergeant for more work."

And that's when Tan Box Bike Repair was born.

Sanchezduarte and Zorich formed a business venture that isn't really a
business at all. Both airmen work long hours with little down time.
Still, they wanted to volunteer to use their bicycle expertise to help
others. The distances between quarters, work locations and dining
facilities at KAF can be fairly far, and not necessarily walkable in a
reasonable timeframe. Many service members ride bikes to make the
commutes a little less cumbersome.

"The conditions here aren't conducive for grease and mechanical parts,"
said Zorich, who is deployed from Travis Air Force Base, Calif. "There
is also neglect, and the mechanical parts must be maintained properly in
this environment."

Zorich, who said he is a rider, not a mechanic, has been able to gather
donated parts from stateside. Prior to his military career, Zorich raced
on the downhill mountain bike circuit. He still has connections with
the mountain bike community and even friends who race professionally.

"Ray's Cycle in Fairfield, Calif., and the [Mountain Bike Review
community] have donated $1,200 to $1,300 worth of parts," said Zorich.
"We have $600 to $700 worth of tires alone."

Tires wear out faster here than most places, according to Sanchezduarte.
He said the rubber dry rots and cracks based on the hard conditions of
the desert. Tires are the most-common repair needed, but he has seen
much worse.

"There's a bicycle here with missing spokes," said Sanchezduarte. "I'm
not sure how the spokes went missing or how [he] is still riding it. It
had loose brackets and a lot of other issues too."

Based on his mission requirements, Sanchezduarte tries to open Tan Box
Bike Repair Sundays from 1-4 p.m., and Tuesdays and Thursdays from 8-9
a.m. Service members at KAF can contact Sanchezduarte or Zorich to work
out a time outside of those hours.

It's an unlikely venture, in an unlikely place, but at a minimum, Tan
Box Bike Repair will be saving a lot of service members' boot soles at
KAF.

Victor H. Esch is a seasoned,
senior emergency management executive and chief fire officer with extensive and
comprehensive leadership expertise in organizational development, planning and
execution. His creative, flexible, and analytical problem solving skills have
positioned him, uniquely, as one of the foremost leaders in the fire service
and disaster response/emergency management industries. Thriving in intense,
high-stakes environments, Chief Esch is an internationally-recognized and
highly-sought authority on Needs-Based Capacity Building, Program Development,
Needs Assessments, and Fire and Emergency Services Master Planning.

Chief Esch’s career has included
response and command of scores of national and international disasters
including: September 11, 2001 Pentagon Incident and World Trade Center
Collapse, Hurricanes, Train Derailments, Airline Crashes, Subway Derailments,
Tornadoes, Sand Storms, Earthquakes, Wildfires, Subterranean Rescues, and Flash
Floods.

Specializing in Program
Development and Program Enhancement, Chief Esch has lead the dramatic turn-around
of numerous fire-rescues departments, the creation of numerous
highly-specialized and technical response teams (Search and Rescue, Rapid Water
Rescue, High Angle Rescue, Flood Rescue, Arial Assisted Rapid Water Rescue Task
Force, and Inland Water Rescue).

Chief Esch has assisted with
assessment and development of numerous Emergency Medical Services and
Pre-Hospital Care Programs and Systems throughout the United States, the
Republic of Afghanistan, and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Recently he has lead
the development of the National Fire and Emergency Services paradigm in
Afghanistan, as well as the inception of the Disaster Response Directorate and
associated programs and procedures in the Republic of Afghanistan.

As a trusted Advisor to numerous
Officials at the highest levels of the Afghan Government,Directorates, Ministries, Parliament, and
within the President and Vice President’s Offices, Chief Esch’s counsel
andperspective in constant
demand.His unique perspective and keen
understanding of the problems, issues, obstacles, and related solutions, has
been developed greatly as a result of his years of embedded service with
various specialized segments within the Afghanistan National Army, the
Afghanistan Ministry of Defense, and the Afghanistan Ministry of Interior.

Recently, Chief Esch had the honor
of being nominated and subsequently elected to serve as the President and Chief
Executive Officer of an Afghanistan based, international humanitarian
reliefNGO, the Organization for
Development & Welfare - Afghanistan;at which he is responsible for daily Administrative and Operational
management and oversight of all of the Organizations activities.Currently Chief Esch is leading ODWA ‘s
interests and operations throughout Afghanistan, as they relate to: Capacity
Building; Community/Village Development; Gender Equality; Education; Health
Care; Tele-Medicine; Disaster Preparedness and Response; Fire/Rescue &
Emergency Medical Services and Emergency Ambulance Services; Pre-Natal Care,
Burn Units, Emergency Health Clinics, and Emergency Medical Training.

Other related actives include
advisory positions with numerous other humanitarian related organizations,
including: the Grossman Burn Foundation and the Marshal Plan Charities.

About the Watering Hole

The Watering Hole is police slang
for a location cops go off-duty to blow off steam and talk about work and
life.Sometimes funny; sometimes
serious; but, always interesting.

About the Host

Lieutenant Raymond E. Foster was a
sworn member of the Los Angeles Police Department for 24 years.He retired in 2003 at the rank of
Lieutenant.He holds a bachelor’s from
the Union Institute and University in Criminal Justice Management and a
Master’s Degree in Public Financial Management from California State
University, Fullerton; and, has completed his doctoral course work. Raymond E.
Foster has been a part-time lecturer at California State University, Fullerton
and Fresno; and is currently a Criminal Justice Department chair, faculty
advisor and lecturer with the Union Institute and University.He has experience teaching upper division
courses in law enforcement, public policy, law enforcement technology and
leadership.Raymond is an experienced
author who has published numerous articles in a wide range of venues including
magazines such as Government Technology, Mobile Government, Airborne Law
Enforcement Magazine, and Police One.He
has appeared on the History Channel and radio programs in the United States and
Europe as subject matter expert in technological applications in law
enforcement.

Thursday, November 21, 2013

ABOARD A MILITARY AIRCRAFT, Nov. 21, 2013 – Defense
Secretary Chuck Hagel said today that any U.S. troop presence in Afghanistan
past 2014 can only be discussed after the proposed bilateral security agreement
between the United States and Afghanistan is signed and put into effect.

Speaking to reporters traveling with him en route to
Halifax, Nova Scotia, where he will attend the Halifax International Security
Forum tomorrow, Hagel said “That’s all going to be defined … [after] the final
approval” of the agreement.

Hagel noted that Afghan President Hamid Karzai spoke this
morning to the loya jirga, or council of elders, that he called together to
consider the document. If the loya jirga approves the draft agreement, it will
then go to Afghanistan’s parliament for ratification.

The document spells out each side’s roles, rights and
responsibilities in Afghanistan’s post-2014 security; one point of contention
has been the stipulation, which the United States puts into all such
agreements, that it retains legal jurisdiction over its service members. Hagel
and other officials have repeatedly stated that provision is not negotiable.

“We believe by the end of this year, we should have that
agreement signed,” he said. “We need to have that agreement signed by the end
of the year -- I think President [Barack] Obama has been clear on that.”

Hagel said NATO allies and other nations contributing to the
International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan are also waiting for the
U.S.-Afghan agreement, which is expected to serve as a model for a similar,
NATO-Afghanistan security agreement.

“We continue to plan for a post-2014, train, assist and
advise [and] counterterrorism role,” the secretary said. “But until we get that
BSA, we can‘t do any more than train. It really needs to be done by the end of
this year.”

Hagel responded to a reporter’s question on whether an
extended delay in signing the document would be a “deal-breaker.”

“I don’t make deal-breaker decision,” he said. “But I think
it would put the United States in a very, very difficult position -- because
until we have a signed bilateral security agreement, … [we don’t have] the
assurance that we need to go forward.”

U.S. forces must be assured of protection, Hagel said,
calling that security a “critical element.”

“We have to have assurances that our forces would be
protected in every way,” he said. “Without a bilateral security agreement, I
don’t think we could go forward.”

PEORIA, Ill. (11/19/13) - Five little girls and one boy were
recently born while their dads were away serving their country. In
December, those six babies will finally get their dads back from
Afghanistan.

"We are all just ready for them to be home," said Sarah Willey
of Decatur, Ill., the Family Readiness Group leader and wife of Illinois
National Guard 1st Lt. Brian Willey. "A lot of kids are ready to have
their dads back."

Sarah gave birth to a daughter, Ariea, while Brian has been
deployed. Ariea is one of six babies born during the 2nd Battalion,
238th General Support Aviation Battalion's deployment to Afghanistan.
Anticipating the Soldiers' return, spouses and family members
of the Peoria-based Soldiers gathered for a family reunion event at the
Hult Center in Peoria, Ill., Nov. 16.

"The event focused on working through any issues the family
members might foresee when their Soldier returns," said Mari Richardson
of Athens, Ill., the 65th Troop Command Brigade Family Readiness Support
Assistant.

Spouses and family members had a question and answer session
with the 238th Commander Maj. Clarence Pulcher of Morton, Ill., via the
Internet.

"He told them how excited they were to return home and how well they have done while deployed," said Richardson.

Approximately 60 Soldiers with the 238th mobilized in January
2013 in support of Operation Enduring Freedom and are expected to return
in December when Brian will meet his daughter for the first time.

WASHINGTON, Nov. 18, 2013 – U.S. special operations forces
are postured to take on the global counterterrorism challenges the nation faces
in the years ahead, the commander of U.S. Special Operations Command said Nov.
16.

Navy Adm. William H. McRaven took part in a panel discussion
at the first Reagan National Security Forum at the Reagan Library in Simi
Valley, Calif., examining what will be required to effectively fight terrorism
in 2025.

McRaven said the role of U.S. special operations forces in
the coming decade-plus is “a very timely topic.” Through the 1990s, he said,
“the international special operations community had a lot of great [special
operations] forces. And frankly, there were many that were as good, if not
better, than we were.”

Since 9/11 and continuing today, however, “I can tell you,
there is nobody in the world who can compare to U.S. special operations forces
and U.S. counterterrorism forces,” the admiral said.

Thanks to the support of Congress, he reported, Socom has
since 2001 doubled its people, tripled its budgets and quadrupled its
capability -- not just in the areas of hardware and intelligence, surveillance
and reconnaissance assets, but also in noncommissioned officer training,
officer education, and language and cultural studies.

The question now, McRaven said, is whether the special
operations force that has evolved to fight the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan is
also adaptable to today’s threats. He said it absolutely is.

The admiral noted that the U.S. special operations forces
now postured in Afghanistan will, as the drawdown of troops in 2014 proceeds,
be available for new missions.

“A lot of what we will do as we go forward in this force is
build partner capacity. … We will always be the best in the world at rescuing
Americans and taking care of threats to the nation, but a large part of what we
will do [in future] is build partner capacity,” he said.

U.S. forces have worked over the past decade with partners
in Colombia, the Philippines, Chad and a dozen other countries around the world
to strengthen their special operations programs, he said. U.S. allies and
partners including NATO, the Arab states of the Persian Gulf, and Asian and
Latin American nations “are absolutely essential to how we’re doing business,”
he added.

Interagency collaboration across the U.S. government is also
crucial, McRaven said. “I have special operations support teams, liaison
officers, in 38 agencies and departments within Washington, D.C.,” he noted.

Socom’s relationships with other agencies such as the CIA
and FBI are “phenomenal,” he reported.

“Lives are important, and the security of the nation is important,
and it has brought us together,” the admiral said. “My concern is that as we
draw down in Afghanistan, and we don’t have the opportunity that,
unfortunately, war brings you to continue to work together, we’ve got to be
careful about moving apart.”

The whole-of-government approach is “absolutely crucial to
getting after these threats,” he said.

“At the end of the day, it doesn’t make any difference to me
whether it’s a Department of Defense guy, or a law enforcement individual or an
intelligence individual that takes care of the threat,” McRaven said. “We’ve
got to work together to make sure that those threats don’t end up on our
shores.”

McRaven said his special operators also rely on regular U.S.
forces.

“I am the biggest supporter of the conventional forces,
because frankly, we can’t do our special operations job without support from
the big Army, Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps,” the admiral said. He added,
“If we are going to have a viable force in 2025, it’s all about the people.”

He pointed out that 12 years of war have exacted a high
price from his troops. “We have had more suicides this year than [at] any point
… in the history of special operations forces,” McRaven said. While that
“single data point” can’t capture the overall health of his force, the admiral
said, it is important.

“The stress on the force is pretty significant,” he said.
“We are going out of our way to work with the services to make sure that the
individual soldiers, sailors, airmen or Marines are healthy physically, mentally
and spiritually.”

Resilience within families is equally important, he said,
and Socom’s “preservation of the force and families” initiative is one approach
the command is taking to help families learn adapting and coping skills.

“If you want a strong [special operations] force for 2025,
or frankly for 2014 and 2015, we have got to take care of our force,” he
emphasized.

But McRaven said that overall, he is confident the nation’s
special operators are ready to take on current and future missions. “I think
we’re going to be ready to go now and in the future,” he said. He noted that
Socom is channeling more troops into language and cultural training that will
make them effective in Africa, Asia and Latin America.

“Up to 2025, this building partner capacity is going to be
important,” he explained. “You can’t build that partner capacity well unless
you speak their language, unless you understand their culture, and unless you
have gained their trust.”

Such engagement is not effective if it’s episodic, the
admiral said. Special operations forces bring sustained engagement, backed by
language and cultural knowledge, to the task of improving partner forces, he
noted. “Episodic engagement with our partners will not get us to the point
where they have a competent and capable force that can deal with the threat,”
he said. “We’ve got to have persistent engagement.”

Vickers addressed a question from Whitlock on how the
Pentagon determines who the enemy is as terrorist groups shift membership and
affiliation.

“It is a governmentwide issue,” he replied. While al-Qaida
has many branches and all of them are considered enemies, he said, other groups
claim ideological similarities with terrorist organizations while not,
themselves, posing a threat to America or its allies.

Vickers said fusion of intelligence and operations, and
sustained pressure on terrorist groups, are both vital to addressing
counterterrorism missions effectively. During the years when America was
fighting in both Iraq and Afghanistan, he said, al-Qaida wasn’t pressured and
was able to reconstitute, resulting in significantly increased threats to the
United States.

“Our government then responded quite effectively, and we’ve
beaten those threats back,” Vickers said. “But even when there have been
smaller pauses in the pressure on these groups, whether it’s in Yemen or
Pakistan or elsewhere for, say, just months, you see them reconstituting. It
emphasizes the real importance of sustained pressure, but also precision
application of power.”

McRaven said the best solution the United States can work
toward with partners and allies in many parts of the world is to “train them to
deal with their own problems.” The admiral said U.S. special operations forces
are currently in 81 countries. In some cases, that may mean one or two people
working in an embassy, he said, while other times it may mean a couple hundred
trainers on the ground.

In each case, he said, “we do a very, very thorough review,
and we understand those risks ahead of time.”

The State Department plays a big role in deciding what
forces the U.S. military will train with, he noted. Special operations forces
don’t train with other nations unless the regional combatant commander, the
ambassador and the country team all give the go-ahead, McRaven said.

“We shouldn’t lose sight of the fact that there are forces
out there that … have questionable reputations,” the admiral pointed out. “I
think we need to assume some risk in helping them. Libya would be a prime
example. So right now, as we go forward to try and find a good way to build up
the Libyan security forces so they are not run by militias, we are going to
have to assume some risks.”

McRaven said the Libyan training mission, which Pentagon
spokesman Army Col. Steve Warren said today will take place in Bulgaria, will
involve both conventional and special Libyan forces.

Between 5,000 and 7,000 Libyan conventional forces will take
part, he said, while a U.S. special operations component will train “a certain
number of their forces to do counterterrorism.”